(Radio Iowa) — The assistant chief of the Oxford Fire Department in eastern Iowa’s Johnson County is facing arson charges. The Johnson County Sheriff’s office says 30-year-old Timothy Hora was found trying to stomp out the flames of a grass fire just after 11 o’clock on April 13th. Court records show a torch that was still warm was found in the back of Hora’s truck. Hora was charged with O-W-I and later released. The investigation into several other grass and vegetation fires led them back to Hora, as information from the G-P-S showed his truck in the area of those fires. He has been charged with five counts of arson.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports early this (Wednesday) morning, Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office arrested 26 year old Cory Daniel Archer of Shenandoah. Archer taken into custody at Priest Park in Shenandoah, for the Delivery of Methamphetamine. The charge was the result of a previous incident in Fremont County.

Cory Archer (Fremont County S/O photo)

During his arrest, Archer was found to be in Possession of methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. He was transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center and held on a $10,000 bond.

Additional charges are expected to be filed with the Page County Attorneys Office.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for a robbing a bank. Federal prosecutors say in a news release that 53-year-old Christopher Leon Weckman was sentenced Tuesday for the robbery of the Tradesmen Community Credit Union in Des Moines. Prosecutors say Weckman entered the bank the afternoon of Sept. 25, 2017, with his face concealed and placed an object he claimed was a bomb on the counter before demanding money.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The longest serving Republican in the Iowa Legislature says he’s becoming a Democrat. Rep. Andy McKean announced his decision Tuesday, saying one important factor was the presidency of Republican Donald Trump. McKean says he can’t support Trump, and if his behavior and leadership is the new normal, “I want no part of it.” McKean says he’ll register as a Democrat this week and plans to seek re-election as a Democrat in 2020.

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Lawmakers in Montana and Iowa have approved legal sports betting, and the Indiana Legislature is expected to do so this week. Barring vetoes from their governors, they would be the first states to expand gambling to sports this year. They would join a handful of other states that acted last year after a U.S. Supreme Court decision. Critics say expanding gambling to sports will increase addiction and give a pathway for minors to pace bets illegally.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds isn’t saying whether she’ll sign a sports betting bill that has passed its final legislative hurdle. Reynolds has declined throughout the legislative session to say whether she supports the expansion of gambling in a state with 19 state-regulated casinos, horse and dog racing and a lottery. Asked about the issue Tuesday, a day after lawmakers gave final approval to the bill, Reynolds responded that she’ll read the bill before deciding whether to sign it.

During the school year, the summer back-pack program assists the children and families of Cass County who may need food assistance on weekends and over the holidays. There are some programs during the summer, but it is known that, with students home for summer vacation, there will be an increased need among families to provide nutritious foods for the children.

The Cass County Democratic Party is sponsoring a Summer Food Drive meant to supplement the summer programs. Chair Sherry Toelle says “We need individually-prepared, non-perishable food items such as puddings, Jello-type products, cereals, pasta meals, canned/packaged tuna and chicken, Ramen noodles, and other foods that, if the parents are gone during the day, children can prepare for themselves.”

Toelle said also, “We will have drop-off sites in most communities throughout the county. The food drive will run for a month, from April 24th to May 24th. Volunteers from the Democratic Party will handle pick-up and delivery of all food donations, which will remain in Cass County.”

Drop–off sites include:

• Anita: City Clerk’s Office; Library
• Atlantic: Fareway; private home @ 10 E. 13th St.; YMCA
• Cumberland: Telephone Company; Library; City Hall; Houghton State Bank
• Griswold: Rolling Hills Bank; Library; City Hall; Telephone Company
• Lewis: Library
• Massena: Library; FNBank; Economy Food Mart

Toelle said “It is our mission as Democrats to offer a hand up, not a hand-out, to our fellow citizens. I want to thank the offices and businesses who are so generously providing the public with drop-off sites in every community. We would not be able to offer this program and other public service programs that we do throughout the year without their help.”

Officials with the Harlan Police Department report two separate arrests each on April 20th and 17th. On April 20th, 41-year old Jeremy Lloyd Smith, of Defiance, was arrested following a traffic stop.  Smith was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with operating while intoxicated 1st offense and parking against the flow of traffic. 24-year old Anthony Michael McCoy, of Avoca, was also arrested following a traffic stop.  McCoy was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving while barred, failure to prove security against liability, and insufficient number of headlamps.

On April 17th, 52-year old Melissa Ann Henscheid, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant.  Henscheid was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was also charged with driving while suspended. And, 18-year old Preston Max Russell, of, Kirkman, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant.  Russell was transported to the Shelby County Jail.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The longest serving Republican in the Iowa Legislature says he’ll become a Democrat. Rep. Andy McKean announced his decision Tuesday, saying one important factor was the presidency of Republican Donald Trump. McKean says he can’t support Trump, and if his behavior and leadership is the new normal, “I want no part of it.”

McKean, a 69-year-old retired attorney from the eastern Iowa city of Anamosa, first entered the House in 1979 and served seven terms. He left the legislature but returned to the Senate in 1993 and served three terms. He then won election to the House in 2016 and was re-elected in 2018. He’s now served nearly 29 years in the Legislature.

When he returned, McKean found he disagreed with Republicans on many high profile issues. McKean says he’ll register as a Democrat this week and plans to seek re-election as a Democrat in 2020.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man who fell from a downtown Cedar Rapids construction site has died from his injuries, officials announced Tuesday.

Television station KCRG reports that fall happened Monday afternoon, when someone called 911 to report a person lying in an alley between United Fire Group’s buildings downtown.

First responders found 47-year-old Michael Dean Patterson, of Norwalk, with critical injuries. He was taken to a Cedar Rapids hospital, where he died several hours later.
Investigators believe Patterson fell from a beam while working on building renovations.